Apparatus for painting the adjacent exposed surfaces of overlapped clapboards



Nov. 9, 1965 v s. HARLOW 3,216,040

APPARATUS FOR PAINTING THE ADJACENT EXPOSED SURFACES OF OVERLAPPED CLAPBOARDS Filed March 5, 1964 IN V EN TOR.

Mom 5 H451 Oh/ 13" ugh/N H TI'ORNE Y United States Patent 3,216,040 APPARATUS FOR PAINTING THE ADJACENT EXPOSED SURFACES OF OVERLAPPED CLAP- BOARDS Viola S. Harlow, 232 Gulf St, Shrewsbury, Mass. Filed Mar. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 349,695 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-231) This invention relates to painting apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus which serves for the application of paint to the exterior of a building.

The standard practice for painting the clapboards and shakes or shingles of a building involves the use of a pail of paint and a brush. It is difficult to paint the under edge portion of a clapboard or shake, and the painter has to take extra precautions in applying paint to insure painting all of that horizontal surface. It may take many strokes of the brush to paint the outer vertical surface as well as the horizontal portion, and each surface has to be brushed separately. Paint rollers have been used on interior surfaces, but they are not satisfactory for simultaneously painting both of the exposed clapboard surfaces. It is desirable to provide an instrument which will paint both the exposed vertical surface and the horizontal portion at the same time.

It is accordingly the primary object of this invention to provide apparatus which will overcome such difficulties and which will serve for the application of paint at the same time to both a vertical surface and the overhanging horizontal edge portion of a clapboard or similar surfaces.

A further object is to provide a paint applicator for use with an associated paint carrying receptacle which is so constructed that it may be dipped into a shallow bath of the paint and then applied directly and simultaneously to both the vertical and horizontal surfaces of a clapboard or the like and which will serve to cover the full height of the exposed surface of the clapboard as well as the overhanging edge portion thereabove.

Another object is to form the applicator as a substantially rigid U-shaped body which is removably slid endwise onto a handle block and may be readily removed, cleaned and replaced, and which comprises a paint carrying fabric shaped to provide both an under flat surface and upstanding edge portions on three sides only for painting adjacent clapboard surfaces. Other objects will be apparent in the following disclosure.

In accordance with this invention, I apply paint to a building surface by means of an applicator having an extensive flat-surfaced body carrying a deep pile fabric or other material suitable for holding the paint which is so constructed that it will apply paint simultaneously to both the vertical surface of a clapboard and the overhanging horizontal edge surface of the clapboard laid above it. The paint is supplied by means of a shallow pan which is preferably provided with a platform at one end so constructed and arranged that the applicator may be dipped into the paint and then applied to the platform for removal of excess paint therefrom.

Referring to the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a paint supplying pan having a platform for removing excess paint and resilient clips on the outside for securing the pan to a ladder platform.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the paint applicator; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 of FIG. 1 showing a part of the pan in full lines.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 3, I have provided a shallow metal pan or tray having parallel side walls and 11 and parallel end walls 12 and 13 connected to a bottom 14 which will serve as a paint receptacle. As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom 14 slopes toward a deeper end adjacent the wall 12. The end wall 13 is provided with a foot 16 extending below the bottom so that the wall 13 and the foot 16 are as high as the other end wall 12 and the top of the pan is horizontal.

Removably mounted in this receptacle is a platform made as shown by bending a strip of metal to form the horizontal platform 20 and sides 21 arranged to fit between the side walls 10 and 11 of the pan and rest on the bottom of the pan. The platform has an upstanding front portion 22 at right angles to the platform which has a downwardly opening channel 23 so shaped that it may be slidably and removably mounted on the upstanding end wall 13 of the pan. The platform may have a downwardly depending front edge portion 24 which aids in defining the deep end paint carrying portion of the pan. The platform is removable for the purpose of cleaning the apparatus. The platform has very large holes 2-5 or other suitable provision which serves for removing excess paint from the applicator. The holes 26 in the vertical wall portion 22 are for the same purpose.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the preferred form of applicator comprises a body 30 of suitable material, such as wood, shaped as a fiat or low parallelepipedon about one inch thick which provides an extensive lower flat surface in a plane. A handle 32 is suitably mounted on the top of that body. As shown it is shaped substantially like a standard door handle having an arched portion 32 and lugs; 33 which are provided with holes therethrough adapted to receive screws 34 for mounting the same on the Wooden block 30. The handle is arched sufiiciently above the top surface of the block so that the knuckle portion of the hand of an operator may be readily inserted.

The applicator body is suitably sized, such as having overall dimensions of 5% x 5 A inches for painting a clapboard having a weather exposed surface which is 5 inches wide. A shake as usually laid has an exposed surface 7 inches wide. Hence the applicator may be 5% x 7% on its under surface for painting a shake. In each case it is wide enough to extend across the full weather surface of the clapboard, shake or shingle and contact fully the overhang of the board above. These dimensions may be varied in accordance with the needs of a given operation. The pan is somewhat wider than the applicator and its length may be more than twice as long as the length of the platform 20.

The applicator fabric is preferably of the same type as is used for making the surface of a paint roller, such as a plastic foam material or mohair or a fabric having a very deep pile capable of picking up and holding a considerable amount of paint without its dripping. It is shown in the drawing as comprising a woven fabric 35 having a pile 36 extending outwardly therefrom preferably to a height of inch or more. One suitable fabric is sold under the tradename Dynel by various manufacturers of paint roller fabrics. If a plastic foam is used, its surface structure is to be porous and such that it will hold a consider able quantity of paint and readily give up the same to the surface to be painted.

Various means may be employed for fastening the fabric to the applicator body and provide both a flat bottom structure and at least one side edged portion which is designed to apply paint to the under edge of the clapboard, single or shake overlying the one being painted. In the form illustrated in FIG. 2, the fabric is shaped somewhat like a glove and arranged to be removably slid into place over the body 30. This glove-like assembly may comprise a pasteboard 38 having a lower fiat portion and upstanding sides as high as the thickness of the body 30. This cardboard is intended to form a slide surface which provides a ready mounting of the fabric on the block. A stiffening wire screen fabric 39, also shaped like the cardboard, provides the bottom surface, and its bottom and upstanding sides are attached to the cardboard by a suitable adhesive. The fabric 36 is attached to the wire screen 39 by a further amount of adhesive so that the three parts form a substantially rigid structure providing a paint holding pile on its outer side.

The fabric 36 may have inturned edge portions, as shown in FIG. 2, and a flat plate 40 of aluminum or other suitable material is mounted beneath the handle lugs and on top of the inturned edge portions of the fabric to clamp the latter in place. That is, if the handle screws 34 are removed, then the plate 40 and handle may be lifted out of the way and the glove-like fabric mount may be slid into place over the block 30, after which the plate 40 and screws 34 are returned into position to clamp the fabric against the body 30. Only the fabric 36 needs to extend over the top of the block 30. It will be appreciated that the fabric may be cut to a desired shape, such as a body having three arms like a cross which are bent up over the block after the replaceable glove-like structure has been slid into place. If desired, the screen wire fabric 39 and/ or the cardboard 38 may be bent up over the top of the block 30 to insure their staying in a proper shape. As shown, the applicator has a bottom paint holding applicator and three upstanding side portions which also carry paint. Hence, the applicator may be turned into any one of three positions to daub paint on the outer side of the clapboard above while paint is being applied to the vertical surface of the building. Hence, this apparatus provides for a very quick application of paint to a clapboard, shingle or shake. which is overlapped by the member above, so that the vertical portion 42 of the fabric is of great importance and accomplishes a purpose which is not easily done by a paint brush. The applicator, of course, will serve for painting a continuous planar surface.

A further feature of the construction comprises spring clamps which will mount the tray on a platform, such as the step of a ladder. To this end, an L-shaped spring arm 44 (FIG. 1) is secured to one long wall of the tray and spaced from the bottom of the tray body by the standard thickness of the step ladder platform, as is indicated by the dot and dash outlined structure 45 shown in FIG. 3. The spring arm 44 may be centrally located or preferably near the left-hand or deep end of the tray. The sloping bottom 14 of the tray and the leg 16 leaves a space beneath the right hand end of the tray. Hence, I provide a plate 46 (FIG. 1) which is secured to the bottom of the tray by welding or rivets and has its bottom surface in line with the bottom of the wall 16. An L-' shaped spring arm 48 attached by rivets 49 to the tray wall is spaced from the plate 46 by the thickness of the step 45 of the ladder, so that the spring arm 48 will grip the step as does the other spring arm 44. The plate 46 may have an upstanding flange 50 provided with a flat extension 51 which is secured to the bottom of the tray by a rivet. The plate 46 may also have a vertical part suitably secured at its front end to the spring clip 48.

It will now be appreciated that when paint is poured into the tray, it will form a deep pool in the left hand end of the tray. The applicator which is sized to fit into that pool is dipped therein to pick up the desired quantity of paint. Then the applicator may be applied to the platform and be moved slightly to squeeze excess paint down through the holes 25 and 26 into the tray, and it is then ready for use. As it is swept horizontally along the exposed surface of a clapboard, the upstanding portion of the fabric will run along the under or overhanging surface portion of the clapboard above and apply the paint evenly thereto. If the exposed surface of the shake, shingle or clapboard is greater than the width of the square shaped applicator, then an applicator of a larger size may be employed as desired. The paint tray or pan is preferably removably mountedon the step of a ladder or other suitable horizontal surface and thus it is held firmly in place so the painter does not have the problem of protecting his supply. All he has to do is to fill his tray with the desired depth of paint and proceed expeditiously with his task.

It will now be appreciated that the term clapboar is intended to cover any overlapped building surface structure, and that the term fabric as used herein applies to any porous paint retaining substance that is appropriate for the purpose. Also, it will be understood that many modifications may be made in this painting apparatus and that the above disclosure of a preferred embodiment is to be interpreted as setting forth the principles of this invention and not as imposing limitations on the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An applicator for applying paint simultaneously to adjacent substantially horizontal and vertical surfaces of overlapped clapboards comprising a handle block having a flat bottom surface and parallel side surfaces, and a substantially rigid U-shaped paint carrying member having a paste board inner sleeve-like layer slidably and removably mounted on the body, an outer U-shaped paint retaining fabric layer fixedly attached to the inner layer and an intermediate metallic reinforcing layer, said memher having an edge portion on three sides only which engages said surfaces and overlaps the top of the block, a handle and a clamping plate on the top of the block removably engaging said edge portion and holding the paint carrying member in position, said member having an open end without said edge portion and being mountable as a unit by sliding its open end onto the block, and being so shaped and arranged that it applies paint to all of the adjacent clapboard surfaces as it is slid along the same.

2. An applicator according to claim 1 in which the U- shaped metal reinforcement is a wire screen fabric and comprising an adhesive securing said layers fixedly together.

ReferencesCited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,298,386 3/19 Plunkett 15-231 X 2,086,956 7/37 Long 15--231 2,138,288 11/38 Bailey 15231 2,659,917 11/53 Drum 15-25706 2,794,199 6/57 Schueler 15230.1l X 2,952,028 9/60 Robbins 15244 X 2,994,901 8/61 Ely 15257.05 3,044,096 7/ 62 Englehart 15257.05

ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Examiner. 

1. AN APPLICATOR FOR APPLYING PAINT SIMULTANEOUSLY TO ADJACENT SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL SURFACES OF OVERLAPPED CLAPBOARDS COMPRISING A HANDLE BLOCK HAVING A FLAT BOTTOM SURFACE AND PARALLEL SIDE SURFACES, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID U-SHAPED PAINT CARRYING MEMBER HAVING A PASTE BOARD INNER SLEEVE-LIKE LAYER SLIDABLY AND REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE BODY, AN OUTER U-SHAPED PAINT RETAINING FABRIC LAYER FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO THE INNER LAYER AND AN INTERMEDIATE METALLIC REINFORCING LAYER, SAID MEMBER HAVING AN EDGE PORTION ON THREE SIDES ONLY WHICH ENGAGES SAID SURFACES AND OVERLAPS THE TOP OF THE BLOCK, A HANDLE AND A CLAMPING PLATE ON THE TOP OF THE BLOCK REMOVABLY ENGAGING SAID EDGE PORTION AND HOLDING THE PAINT CARRYING MEMBER IN POSITION, SAID MEMBER HAVING AN OPEN END WITHOUT SAID EDGE PORTION AND BEING MOUNTABLE AS A UNIT BY SLIDING ITS OPEN END ONTO THE BLOCK, AND BEING SO SHAPED AND ARRANGED THAT IT APPLIES PAINT TO ALL OF THE ADJACENT CLAPBOARD SURFACES AS IT IS SLID ALONG THE SAME. 